Exercising With a Feeding Tube: A True Story About Jordan
Medically Reviewed by Janel Ganz, BSN, RN, Enteral Feeding Specialist
Regular physical activity has big benefits for the health of your body and your brain. Among other things, exercise helps you manage stress1. Any major life change can cause stress, and living with a feeding tube is no different. The good news is you can do all sorts of exercise at all levels, even with your feeding tube.
Take it from Jordan. This 26-year-old is crazy about Crossfit, but she had to stop exercising for a while because of gastroparesis. This is where the muscles of the stomach do not work the way they should and cannot move food through the rest of the digestive system2. After getting her GJ tube, Jordan started gaining weight again. Eventually, her doctor said she was cleared to go back to the gym one day a week.
See below to read more about Jordan’s journey.
Take It Slow
Just like Jordan, it is important to return to physical activity a little at a time.
- Make sure you and your healthcare team agree you are healthy enough to start working out again.
- For people who are used to living an active life full of energy, slowing down to heal can be frustrating.
- “I do classes, and right now I’m in the lowest class,” Jordan says. “The trainer that I work with is still doing separate things for me each week. It’s kind of hard looking around and seeing people do things that I used to be able to do.” Just as an athlete would not run a marathon right after a knee replacement, the same rules apply to those who just had a feeding tube placed. In any case, if you have a gastrointestinal condition, you may not have been getting the nutrition you needed to stay active. Getting that nutrition and energy back is part of the reason your doctor recommended tube feeding.
- Return to your active life a little at a time and try to celebrate the small wins.
- “It feels so good, once I leave the gym and go home, knowing that I was able to do that,” says Jordan. “I couldn’t have done that three or four months ago.”
Adjust to Changes
You probably went home from the hospital with a plan for tube feeding, what kind of nutrition you need, and how much you need. Be aware that the plan might change as you do more activity each day.
- You lose water, electrolytes, and calories during exercise, so you will need to replace those into your tube in order to stay healthy and hydrated.
- On the advice of her doctor, Jordan has started taking fluids and formula through her tube at the same time to keep her hydration level up. She also puts a special protein infusion through the tube 15 to 20 minutes after she works out.
- Talk to your healthcare team before adding more exercise into your routine.
- A dietitian can help make sure you get enough of everything your body needs.
Positive Mindset is Power
- Exercise boosts your mood.
- No matter what your level of activity is, having a positive mindset can support healing and recovery.
- Just like building up your physical strength after getting your feeding tube, you can also build up your emotional strength.
- Start small and find little things to celebrate. Those little things will get bigger with time and practice.
- “As silly as it sounds, the biggest thing that has helped me over the past three years is just reminding myself to be grateful,” Jordan says. “One day I just started posting to my social media one thing that I’m grateful for every day. And it really changed my outlook over time.”
- Moving Matters for My Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/moving-matters/about/index.html. Updated April 12, 2024. ↩︎
- Gastroparesis. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gastroparesis/symptoms-causes/syc-20355787. Updated Jun 2022. ↩︎
